Double cavity pump for laundry equipment having integral sealing means



July 30. 1968 w OHMANN ETAL 3,394,660

DOUBLE CAVITY PLIMP FOR LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT HAVING INTEGRAL SEALING MEANSFiled May 19, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TORS I V/LLMM OHMAA/AIow/Leo E mess/v62 m & 2 i ATTORNEYS July 1968 WJOHMANN ,ETAL 3,394,660

DOUBLE CAVITY PUMP FOR LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT HAVING INTEGRAL SEALING MEANSFiled May 19, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 32 i s W. 2 23 64 7 f4 f 72 H: v 76J 1 53 j 22' I 77 "64 i /04 I 73 w 1 I I; v 1

kxt W I Y j 1 j 8/ 4J3 Z6 4 62 53 7 5G f a If f g F 4 4/ L 2 I INVENTORSVV/LL AM mwA/v/v 3 awn e0 E. V/e'ssa/ee W a i 4 ATTORNEY-S July 30. 1968OHMANN ETAL 3,394,660

W. DOUBLE CAVITY PUMP FOR LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT HAVING Filed May 19, 1966INTEGRAL SEALING MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR5 J45 676 355 I/V/LLIAMOf/MANA/ ion/42a E. l V/asszvek ATTORNEYS United States Patent DOUBLECAVITY PUMP FOR LAUNDRY EQUIP- MENT HAVING INTEGRAL SEALING MEANSWilliam Ohmann, Benton Harbor, and Edward E. Wiessner, St. Joseph,Mich., assignors to Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, Mich.

Filed May 19, 1966, Ser. No. 551,407 12 Claims. (Cl. 103113) ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE A double cavity pump having a divider plate separatingthe two pump cavities and having an integral sealing lip molded into itsperiphery. The divider plate is flexible and has an aperture allowingautomatic priming of the second pump cavity with fluid from the firstpump cavity until the operation of a pump impeller in the second cavitycreates sufiicient fluid pressure therein to automatically close theaperture by movement of the divider plate.

A pump for laundry apparatus having a dividing plate provided with itsown integral peripheral sealing lip thereby efiFectively separating twodistinct pumping chambers, each having its own impeller means therein.The dividing plate also cooperates with the impeller means to form apressure responsive priming means, thereby admitting laundry liquid fromone pumping chamber into the other for priming the pumping unit in theother pumping chamber and automatically closing the priming passage inresponse to pump-generated pressure.

The integral flexible sealing lip arrangement of the present inventionmay take several forms. For example, multiple lips may engage adjoiningpump body surfaces, thereby eliminating separate ring and groove sealingor gasketing. The lip seal can also be used to isolate port areas.

It is an object of the invention to provide improved means for effectinga seal about the periphery of a divider plate in a double cavity pump.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved means forpriming one of the chambers of the double cavity pump.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become manifest tothose versed in the art upon making reference to the followingdescription and drawings in which an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention is shown and described.

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plumbing diagram showing an automatic washer in schematicform and embodying a double cavity pump in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross section of the double cavity pump taken online IIII of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view showingadditional details of the peripheral sealing means incorporated in thedividing plate of the present invention.

FIGURE 4 is a View similar to FIGURE 3 but illustrating the parts inassembled loaded condition.

FIGURE 5 is a plan elevational view of the dividing plate provided inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view showingadditional details of the priming means of the present invention.

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURES 3 and 4 but showing an alternativesealing arrangement.

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURES 3 and 4 but showing yet anotherform of sealing arrangement as contemplated by the present invention.

As shown on the drawings:

While the principles of the present invention are generally applicableto other environments, a particularly useful application is made to adouble cavity pump of the type used in laundry equipment. Accordingly,to illustrate the principles of the invention, there is shown in FIGURE1 a double cavity pump 10 embodying the principles of the presentinvention.

Referring, first of all, to the plumbing diagram of FIGURE 1, there isshown schematically a double cavity pump identified generally by thereference numeral 10 which embodies the principles of the presentinvention and which has various liquid connections to a tub 11 of anautomatic washer and to a wash stand shown generally at 12 including adrain compartment 13 and a suds saving compartment 14, the compartments13 and 14 being separated by an internal partition 16. The draincompartment 13 has a drain opening 17 in the bottom wall thereofconnected to a drain conduit 18. The suds storage compartment 14 alsohas a drain opening 19 formed therein and a branch conduit 20 runs fromthe drain opening 19 to the drain conduit 18 and may be selectivelyclosed by a stopper 21.

More specifically, the pump 10 has dual pumping cavities which may bereferred to as an upper or first cavity 22 and a lower or second cavity23. The upper pumping unit 22 may conveniently comprise the so-calledbidirectional form of pump including bidirectional valving means 24 tothereby selectively direct the flow through the plumbing conduit to aselected direction, for example, from a sump 26 formed in the bottom ofthe tub 11 to a two-way valve 28 in the direction of a solid arrow 27.The two-way valve 28 determines whether the laundry liquid will pass tothe storage compartment 14 or to the drain compartment 13. In thisregard, the two-way valve 28 has a first outlet 29 connected to aconduit 30 having a depending leg 31 extending into the storagecompartment 14 and provided on its end with an opening 32 near thebottom of the compartment 14. The two-way valve 28 has a second outlet33 connected to a conduit 34 having a discharge portion 36 for directinglaundry liquid into the drain compartment 13.

An inlet fitting 37 is formed on the two-way valve 28 and is connectedto a fitting 38 formed on the valve mechanism 24 by means of a conduit39.

A conduit 40 is connected to the sump 26 as at 41 and has an extensionportion 42 connected to the valving device 24 as at 43.

A recirculation conduit 44 has a discharge opening 46 directing liquidinto a filtering device 47 adjacent the top of the tub 11, while theother end of the recirculation conduit 44 is connected to a port 48provided for the lower pump unit 23.

A conduit 49 has one end connected to the tub 11, as at 50 andv theother end thereof is connected to the pump unit 23 via a port 51.

Referring now more specifically to FIGURE 2, additional details ofconstruction of the pump 10 are shown. Thus, it will be noted the pump10 is characterized by a casing which includes a first housing body 53cooperating with a cover member or second housing body 54, thereby toform a hollow housing or a casing providing a cavity. The interior ofthe housing or the cavity is partitioned by means of the dividing plateof the present invention shown generally at 56 and operating to dividethe interior of the casing into a first pumping chamber 57 for the upperpump unit 22 and a second pumping chamber 58 for the pumping unit 23.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGURE 2, the cover 54 has anotched recess 59 in which the dividing plate 56 is received andoutwardly thereof a flat wall portion 60 formed with an annular recess61 in which is positioned an O ring sealing member 62 for engaging anadjoining abutment surface of the main body 53 of the casing. Resilientsnap-on clamping means 64 are provided for connecting the cover 54 tothe body 53, thereby retaining the housing components in firm assemblywith one another.

The body 53 of the casing is formed with a valve chamber housing thevalve means previously referred to at 24 and it will be noted uponinspecting FIGURE 2 that a.

valve 66 is carried on a pivot shaft 67 having an outwardly.

projecting end connected to an actuator 68 by means of which flowthrough the upper pump unit 22 may be selectively reversed from thedirection of the full line arrows 27 to a reverse direction shown bydotted line arrows 69, as seen in FIGURE 1.

The casing body 53 also includes a bearing housing 70 in which isreceived lubricating wick material 71 and bearing means 72 forjournaling a shaft 73. One end of the shaft 73 projects outwardly of thepump housing and has connected thereto a pulley wheel 74 by means ofwhich the pump may be rotatably driven. The shaft extendsthrough asealing mechanism shown generally at 76 and has connected thereto afirst impeller means 77 which is rotatable within the pumping chamber57.

The shaft 73 extends through the divider plate 56 at a centrallydisposed opening 78 and projects into the pumping chamber 58 where it isconnected to a second impeller means 79 which is rotatable in thepumping chamber 58.

Referring now to FIGURE 3 and FIGURE 4 in conjunction with FIGURE 2,additional details of the divider plate 56 are illustrated.

The divider plate is preferably made of a plastic material such aspolypropylene and is substantially flat in overall configuration and isof sufiicient thickness, as indicated by the thickness dimension 80 tobe fairly rigid, i.e., relatively stable, but still of sufficientflexibility to be yieldable in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention.

At the outer periphery of the divider plate 56, there is formed anintegral reduced section providing a relatively thin annular lip 81. Thelip 81 projects radially outwardly and slopes somewhat downwardly sothat when the divider plate 56 is in its relaxed, unsealed position, asseen in FIGURE 3, the outer edge extremity 82 of the lip 81 will engagethe bottom wall 83 of the recess 59 and will position the top surface 84of the divider plate 56 above the level of the cover represented by theflat surface 60. In other words, the total dimension indicated at 86 isgreater than the depth of the recess 59.

When the cover 54 is assembled to the casing body 53, the upper surface84 of the divider plate 56 will engage the flat adjoining surface of thebody 53 as indicated at 87 and the divider plate 56 will. be clampedbetween the confronting surfaces so that the lip 81 will flex or bendbecause of the deformation characteristics of the plastic material suchas polypropylene.

In selecting a plastic material such as polypropylene, it is desirablethat a material be used which has a memory characteristic similar tothat exhibited by polypropylene since the material of the lip 81 causesa seal to be effected between the two pumping cavities 57 and 58,thereby eliminating the need for any additional gaskets or seals inassociation with the divider plate.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 4, the divider plate 56 effects a sealbetween the two pumping chambers 57 and 58 and a separate sealing means62 is provided for sealing the line of juncture between the firsthousing body 53 and the cover 54. If desired, the divider plate 56 canbe constructed in the alternative forms of FIGURES 7 and 8, in whichevent the necessity of grooving the cover or lower housing 54, as at 61,for receiving a separate ring 62 would also be eliminated without lossof function. Thus, in FIGURE 7, there is shown an arrangement whereinthe divider plate is identified at 56a .and..the body 53a of the pump ischaracterized by the formation of a radially inwardly extending flexiblelip 90 having an outermost edge 91 which engages against the top surface84 of the divider plate 56a. The divider plate 561: has, as previouslydescribed, a lip 81a with an outer edge .82a engaging the surface 83a ofthe cover or lower housing 54a. Thus, the lips 81a and 90 not onlyeffect a seal between the respective pumping cavities but also providean effectiveseal between the line of juncture of the casing parts alongthe surface shown at 60a and 87a.

In FIGURE 8 an alternative construction is illustrated wherein thedivider plate is shown at 56b. At the outermost periphery of theplate,56b, there are two separate lips provided including the lip 81b, whichis similar in placement and location to the lips 81 and'81a described inconnection with FIGURES 3, 4 and 7 and the second lip is formed integralwith the divider plate 56b, as shown at 90b. Thus, the lip 81b has anouter edge 82b and the" 53b. Thus the divider plate 56b effects a sealbetween" the pumping cavities and also effects a seal between the lineof juncture of the abutting surfaces shown in FIG- URE 8 at 60b and 87b.

Referring now to FIGURES 5 and 6, additional details of construction ofthe divider plate 56 are shown. For the purpose of accomplishing theautomatic priming of the lower pump, the dividing plate 56 forms apressure responsive valving means for regulating the flow of primingfluid through a priming passage as a function of a pressuredifferential.

At the edgs of the opening 78, there is provided a boss or a hub throughwhich the opening 78 extends, the opening 78 being made of asufficiently large diameter to pass the shaft 73 with clearance shown at101.

The boss 100 has a flat upper surface 102 which is spaced from theadjoining end surface 103 on a hub 104 of the impeller means 77.

Thus, the surface 103, in effect, forms a valve seat, while the boss 100forms a valve head with a valve head seating surface 102. Because of theflexibility of the divider plate 56, the boss 100 is flexibly movablefrom the full line position shown in FIGURE 6 to a dotted line positionin response to a pressure differential acting on the divider plate 56.

With respect to the priming operation, it will be appreciated that thetwo way valve 28 determines whether laundry liquid will pass to thestorage sump 14 or to the drain compartment 13. Thus, Whenever there isliq-' uid present in the tub 11, liquid will also be present in theupper pumping cavity 57 because the two-way shutoff valve 28 isdownstream of the upper pumping unit 22.

The lower pumping unit 23, on the other hand, is used for circulatinglaundry liquid and since the impeller means 79 constitutes aunidirectional centrifugal-type pump, liquid will not normally bepresent in the pumping cavity 58 when the pumping unit 23 is required tobegin operation and priming of the lower pump unit 23 is thus desirable.

In prior art devices, priming of a dual cavity pump was sometimesaccomplished by allowing liquid in the uppering surfaces 102 and103.When the lower impeller means 79 is not recirculating liquid through thehoses or conduits 44-and 49, the priming passage is open. Thus, when thetwo-way'valve 28 is closed and thetub 11 of the washer is filling, waterwithin the upper pumping cavity 57 will pass into the lower pumpingcavity 58 through the priming passage for priming purposes. Once the tub11 is filled and recirculation takes place, the pressure in the lowerpumping cavity 58 will exceed the pressure presentin the upper pumpingcavity 57 by virtue of the capacity of the impeller means 79 and suchpressure differential, in combination with the flexibility of thedivider plate 56 will permit the dividing plate 56 to move or deflectupwardly to the dotted line position shown in FIGURE 6, whereupon thesurface 102 will engage the surface 103 in a manner similar to a valveseating action, thereby closing the priming passage.

When the lower impeller means 79 stops recirculation, the divider plate56 will return to its original full line position and will thereforecondition the priming passage to allow the lower pump unit 23 to beprimed through the priming passage as described.

It will be readily apparent that if the automatic valving feature is notdesired, the boss 100 maybe removed from the top surface 84 of thedivider plate wherein priming of the lower pumping chamber will beaccomplished through the opening 78 as described above with theexception that the opening 78 will be continuously open and will not beautomatically sealed 01f as it was in the embodiment shown in FIGURES 5and 6.

Although minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in theart, it should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope ofthe patent warranted hereon, all such modifications as reasonably andproperly come within the scope of our contribution to the art.

We claim: 1. An apparatus for pumping liquid comprising: a casing havinga cavity formed therein, ,wall means extending across said cavity fordividing said cavity into first and second chambers;

said casing having separate inlets and outlets formed therein for saidfirst chamber and for said second chamber; first and second rotatableimpeller means in corresponding chambers for pumping liquid between thecorresponding inlet and outlet;

said wall means having passage means extending therethroughinterconnecting said first and second chambers for admitting limitedliquid flow from said first chamber into said second chamber to primesaid second chamber and including means responsive to liquid pressurewithin said second chamber for closing said passage means afterinitiation of liquid flow through said second chamber. 2. An apparatusfor pumping liquid comprising: hollow casing means, wall meanspartitioning the hollow interior of said casing means into first andsecond pumping chambers,

said wall means having an integral peripheral resilient sealing lipengaging said casing in a sealing relationship between said first andsecond pump chambers; said casing means having separate inlets andoutlets fonmed therein for said first chamber and for said secondchamber; and first and second impeller members respectively positionedin said first and second chambers for pumping liquid between thecorresponding inlet and outlet, and a common driving means for saidfirst and second impellers extending axially through said hollowinterior of said casing means and passing through said wall means forconnection to said impeller members on respectively opposite sides ofsaid wall means, whereby said lip effectively separates the pumpingchambers.

3. An apparatus for pumping liquid comprising: hollow casing means,

wall means partitioning the hollow interior of said casing means intofirst and second pumping chambers,

said wall means having an integral peripheral resilient sealing lipengaging said casing in a sealing relationship between said first andsecond pump chambers; said casing means having separate inlets andoutlets formed therein for said first chamber and for said secondchamber; and

first and second impeller members respectively positioned in said firstand second chambers for pumping liquid between the corresponding inletand outlet,

said wall means having a priming passage formed therein foraccommodating limited fluid flow from said first chamber to said secondchamber to prime said second chamber with liquid from said firstchamber,

and said wall means being movable in response to pressure in said secondchamber to close said priming pass-age.

4. In a pump,

a casing,

a divider plate in said casing partitioning the interior of said casinginto first and second pumping chambers each having its own inlet andoutlet,

and separate impeller means in said pumping chamber to pump fluidbetween the corresponding inlet and outlet,

said divider plate being particularly characterized by having formedthereon an integral flexible peripheral lip for sealingly engaging anadjoining surface of said casing, thereby to sealingly separate thepumping chambers,

said divider plate being movable in an axial direction in response topressure in one of said chambers,

and means forming a priming passage controlled by movement of saidplate. 5. In a pump,

a casing,

a divider plate in said casing partitioning the interior of said casinginto first and second pumping chambers each having its own inlet andoutlet,

and separate impeller means in said pumping chamber to pump fluidbetween the corresponding inlet and outlet,

said divider plate being particularly characterized by having formedthereon an integral flexible peripheral lip for sealingly engaging anadjoining surface of said casing, thereby to sealingly separate thepumping chambers,

said casing having first and second housing bodies, each housing bodyhaving a flat abutment surface together with one another forming a jointwhen said housing parts are in assembled relation,

clamping means for retaining said housing bodies connected together,

said integral flexible peripheral lip sealingly engaging one of saidhousing bodies,

and an inwardly extending sealing lip on the other of said housingbodies engaging said divider plate to seal said joint.

6. In a pump,

a casing,

a divider plate in said casing partitioning the interior of said casinginto first and second pumping chambers each having its own inlet andoutlet,

and separate impeller means in said pumping chamber to pump fluidbetween the corresponding inlet and outlet,

said divider plate being particularly characterized by having formedthereon an integral flexible peripheral lip for sealingly engaging anadjoining surface of said casing, thereby to sealingly separate thepumping chambers,

said casing having first and second housing bodies, each housing bodyhaving a fiat abutment surface together with one another forming a jointwhen said housing bodies are in assembled relation,

clamping means for retaining said housing bodies connected together,

said integral flexible peripheral lip sealingly engaging one of saidhousing bodies,

said'dividerplate having a second lip for sealingly engaging againstsaid other housing body.

7. In a, pump,

a casing,

a dividerplate in said casing partitioning the interior of said easinginto first and second pumping chambers each having its own inlet andoutlet,

and separate impeller means in said pumping chamber to pump fluidbetween the corresponding inlet and outlet, 3

said divider plate being particularly characterized by having formedthereon an integral flexible peripheral lip for sealingly engaging anadjoining surface of said casing,

thereby to sealingly separate the pumping chambers,

said divider plate having an opening extending therethrough,

said separate impeller means having a common shaft projecting throughsaid opening with sufficient clearance to form a priming passage betweensaid chambers,

and a valving surface circumjacent said opening for engaging anadjoining surface of one of said impeller means in response to movementof said divider plate when acted upon by fluid pressure generated withinone of said chambers,

thereby closing said priming passage automatically.

8. Ina pump,

a casing having wall surface defining an interior cavity,

a dividing plate dividing said interior cavity into first and secondpumping chambers,

said plate having an integral flexible and resiliently elasticperipheral sealing lip projecting radially and axially away from saiddivider plate to engage said wall surface,

and a priming passage formed in said plate and extending between saidchambers.

said plate having a valving surface circumjacent said passage,

and means forming a valve seat adjacent said valving surface and engagedthereby to close said priming passage when said plate is moved inresponse to pump-generated pressure in one of said chambers.

9. A pump comprising a casing including a first housing body and a coverforming a second housing body,

clamping means retaining said first and second housing bodies in firmassembly with one another,

one of said housing bodies having an annular recess formed therein,

a divider plate made of plastic material received in said annular recessand partitioning the interior of said easing into first and secondpumping chambers defined by the cooperation of said divider plate withsaid first and "second housing bodies respectively,

said divider plate having an integral reduced section peripheral sealinglip extending radially outwardly and having axial extent,

said sealing lip having an outermost edge engaging said annular recess,thereby to position said divider plate outside of said recess when in arelaxed position,

means defining separate inlets and outlets in said casing for each ofsaid chambers, I and separate impeller means in said pumping cl'iam bersfor. pumping fluid between separate inlets and outlets formed insaidcasing, p whereby said divider plate sealingly separates said first andsecond pumping chambers. g

10. A pump as defined in claim 9 and further characterized by saiddivider. plate having a priming passage formed therein and extendingbetween said first a'nd' second chambers'.

11. A'pump as defined in claim 9 and further characterized by saiddivider plate having a priming passage formed therein and extendingbetween said first and second chambers, I

said divider plate having a boss surrounding said prim ing passageandforming a valve seat on said boss,

and means adjacent said boss "providing a valve seat" for engaging saidvalve surface on said boss to close 7 said priming passage when saiddivider plate is moved response to fluid pressure generated within oneof said chambers. 12. A pump comprising I a casing including a firsthousing body' and a cover forming a second housing body, clamping meansretaining said first and second housing bodies in firm assembly with oneanother,

one of said housing bodies having an annular recess formed therein, adivider plate made of plastic material received in said annular recessand partitioning the interior of said easing into first and secondpumping chambers defined by the cooperation of said divider plate withsaid first and second housing bodies respectively said divider platehavingan integral reduced section peripheral sealing lip extendingradially outwardly and having axial extent, said sealing lip having anoutermost edge engaging said annular recess, I thereby to position saiddivider plate outside of said recess when in a relaxed position, I

means defining separate inlets andoutlets in said casing for each ofsaid chambers, and separate impeller means in said pumping chambers forpumping'fluid between separate inlets and outlets formed in said casing,whereby said dividerplate sealingly separates'said first and secondpumping chambers,

said divider plate having a second lip projecting .radially outwardlyand having axial extent in an opposite direction from said first lip,said second lip sealingly engaging against the other of said housingbodies, thereby to seal the joint between said body housing and saidcover.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,210,723 =8/1'940 KOSatka' 103-11'1* 2,924,959 2/1960 Israel 103 3 2,936,715 5/1960 Southam e181;'103-111 2,997,958 8/1961 Heinicke 103 111 3,213,976 10/1965 Yostet al103 -111- 3,301,1ss- 1/1967 Belonger 103-404 I p FOREIGN PATENTS,

413,573 7/1934 Great Britain.

-4/ 1963 Great Britain.

HENRY F. RADUAZO, Primary Examiner;

